


Some Great Reward

by perfectly_random



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Steampunk, F/F, Mon-El (Supergirl TV 2015) is Mike, Superpowers but Kara isn't really Supergirl, lena/maggie brotp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-06 02:09:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16823026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perfectly_random/pseuds/perfectly_random
Summary: Ok, so I had this weird idea for a SuperCorp Steampunk AU. I've never written fanfic (nor steampunk) before so I have no idea if this will work out but I'm gonna try. Tags and rating might change over time.





	Some Great Reward

Lena eyed the airship tethered and docked at the top of the tallest Luthor Corp building in the city. The important parts of her life, everything she thought she might need in her exile, had been crated up and now sat in the cargo berth of the vessel. Her list of must-haves turned out to be surprisingly small: the more personal components of her workshop, her automatons, and her favorite thinking chair. Uniformed Luthor Corp staff stood waiting next to the passenger ramp, trying not to stare and fidget as the scheduled departure time came and went.  
  
Everything was ready and yet she lingered. A few strides, accompanied by the _swish-swish_ of her bustle, took her to the edge of the fifteen floor building, allowing her to look out on the town—or rather city now—that had been home for most of her life. It was bustling: multiple dirigibles dotted the sky even as steam-powered carriages shared the road with flesh and automaton horses. There was talk of changing its name from Pontsville to something less provincial. Lex had started a campaign to change the name to Metropolis, already promising a new city library and tram depot if successful. Metropolis. Typical of Lex to think a name would mean so much. She could hear him now, “Luthor Corp deserves a city that matches its own ambition and potential. That city is Metropolis.” She wondered if he saw himself as one of those ancient Greek leaders, guiding the city with his wisdom.  
  
Her gaze swept from one edge to the other, comparing the city now to that of her memories, remembering walks and carriage rides in the park, her first presentation at the Alchemical Society, first automaton demonstration at the Inventors Club, galas, parties. As the memories faded, she wondered if she would miss very much at all. The Luthor mansion wasn’t visible from here—the verdant outskirts of the city blocked by newer buildings. Home. As she found herself staring at the double doors that led to the roof, doors that remained closed, she entertained the fantasy of seeing Lex burst through, all frantic energy, not-apologizing in that near apologetic way of his about his busy schedule, pausing only a moment to press a brief kiss to her temple with a whispered, “Make us proud, genius” before he vanished in a whirlwind of movement. She might even be happy with a reluctant Lillian to see her off, all stiff and proper. But no matter what she wished, those doors stayed closed, leaving her with the uncertainty and unanswered questions of the past few months.  
  
Maggie stood a few feet away, looking dapper in her three-piece suit and bowler. She made a show of retrieving her watch from her vest pocket and after checking the time, ambled over to Lena’s side. Careful to keep her voice low, she leaned in and said, “Lena, they aren’t coming.”  
  
4:07.  
  
Seven minutes after the scheduled departure, late because Lena had waited. How long would she continue to wait for something that she was never going to get? Lena shifted her gaze from the doors to her bodyguard, already feeling the flush of shame color her cheeks, hearing Lillian’s voice in her head chastising her about the weakness of emotions. Yet she saw nothing but worry and kindness in Maggie’s eyes.  
  
After a sigh and a quick press of thanks to Maggie’s hand, Lena straightened and brusquely turned to face the boarding ramp of the dirigible. Her eyes fell to her final remaining possession, too important not to take care of personally. “Maggie, if you would carry that case for me.”  
  
Maggie tucked the timepiece away and grasped the handle of the large carpetbag. Her eyes grew wide as she grunted and lifted it off the roof. “Jesus, little Luthor, what the hell is in this?”  
  
Lena rolled her eyes dramatically. “I carried that up the last two flights from the elevator. Who’s supposed to be the muscle here?”  
  
With loud grumbling, Maggie adjusted her grip and stomped her way up the ramp, one of the two airshipmen following anxiously on her heels, attempting to help. Lena approached the ramp more sedately, her parasol tip tapping against the roof in time with her heels.  
  
The remaining airshipman, a woman, saluted as she drew near. “Welcome aboard the _Venture_ , Miss Luthor.”  
  
Thank goodness for uniforms. Lena smiled. “I appreciate the welcome, Lieutenant Vasquez. How long will the journey take to National City?”  
With a proud smile, Vasquez responded, “The _Venture_ is the second fastest ship in the Luthor Corp fleet. She’ll get us to National City in five days.”  
  
“Second fastest?” Lena stepped onto the ramp, her gaze already taking in the engine cabins and visible propellers, identifying some of Lex’s older designs. “Well, we’ll see about that.”

###

The desert sun baked the dry, cracked earth, giving it a comfortable warmth under her back. Her skin thrummed in the intense rays of the yellow sun, but the brightness and energy did little to lighten her mood. Luckily, no humans were around for miles—she didn’t need to explain herself to anyone, explain why she lay naked, spread-eagled, offering herself up to the sun. Looking at the arches of red rock through squinting eyes, she could almost convince herself that she was still on Krypton. Maybe her father would come scrambling through the canyon, smiling and calling to her, “Kara, come see what I found!” Like a mirage the image would fade between blinks and she’d be left on a planet with a sky that was too blue, people that were too loud, with too little idea how to move through this world she found herself on.

  
“Kara?” Alex’s whisper reached her even a thousand miles away. “Hank wants to talk to everyone before the afternoon show. You’ve got about fifteen minutes to make it back and change out of those dusty clothes.”

With a sigh, Kara closed her eyes. Through her eyelids, the yellow star turned red. _Oh Rao._ When she first crashed here, her prayers had been long, rambling affairs, asking for guidance, for patience, for word of her cousin, mostly asking for a way to return home. After thirteen years, on the rare occasions she addressed the god of her dead home, her prayers were reduced to those two words.

Prayer echoing in her mind, she stood and dressed in close-fitting leathers, then threw herself straight into the air, blazing into the sky as fast as she could. After reaching the appropriate altitude, Kara burst towards the west, watching the sonic boom follow in her wake. Once she traveled the necessary distance, she slowed, lowering herself through the clouds to eye her destination. The circus was spending a final night on the outskirts of a smaller town about a day’s journey from National City. Tomorrow, they would make the final trek to the city where they would stay for roughly three weeks before starting the southern loop of their tour. Careful to limit her speed, she darted down to land in the elephants pen.

The large animals trumpeted in distress at her sudden appearance until she rested a hand on the two nearest leathery-gray, weathered legs and murmured, “I’m sorry, it’s just me.”

When the elephant trunks snuffled into her neck and hair, she couldn’t help but giggle and throw her arms around the nearest head as the gentle giants nudged her sorrow away.

“Kara!” Alex’s whisper was harsh this time. “Get back here now!”

With one last pat to Margot the elephant’s head, Kara pulled away. “I’ll be back later with peanuts and bananas. Promise.”

Five minutes later found Kara semi-clean, hair in a loose braid, spectacles in place, slipping into the main tent. Alex glared at her as she sidled into place next to her, nudging James in the ribs to make room.

Hank gave Kara one of his disappointed looks, along with a small shake of his head, causing her to blush and run her hands down the front of her dress. “As I was saying, after we arrive in National City, we’ll be receiving a visitor. I received a telegram today letting me know that Lena Luthor will be attending our first show and wants a tour of the company afterward before talking about the “future” of the troupe and show.”

Silence hung in the air as the five people glanced at each other before looking back at Hank.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alex demanded.

“Luthor? A Luthor out here?” James scoffed. “I’m surprised they even remembered they own an entertainment company.”

“Is she here because of my memo? You know, my idea to upgrade to the steam engines according my design,” Winn asked eagerly.

Hank raised his hands and gestured for them to calm down. “You know as much as I do. Whatever comes of the meeting, we’ll face it. Together. In the meantime, we have a show to a put on.”

“Including tonight’s special?” Mike spoke up for the first time, his gaze cutting over to Kara. “Maybe we should skip it since tomorrow’s a big day.”

Kara bit the inside of her cheek, the pain muting her desire to punch that smirk off of his face; he knew how much she looked forward to the evening shows. “We already advertised it. People will be coming,” she blurted, needing Hank to say yes.

When Hank still said nothing, Kara turned to Alex and pouted.

“We should do it, Hank. Might be the last one for a while. Everyone,” Alex’s gaze cut to Mike with a frown, “has been looking forward to it. We should take this chance to blow off some steam.”

Hank took a breath then nodded once. “You’re right.” When nobody moved, he made a shooing motion. “Tonight is tonight but we have a show this afternoon. Let’s get on it, people.”

As Winn, James, and Mike bolted after Hank, Kara let out a squeal and gave Alex a quick hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Alex waited until everyone was out of earshot then held her at arms length, looking at her intently. Kara forced her smile a little bigger, hoping that she wouldn’t ask. Even when Kara didn’t tell her where she was escaping off to, Alex always seemed to know when she came back from the red rocks.

“Are you okay?”

Her head was nodding before Alex even finished the question. Some days she wanted to talk. About how the ache of missing Krypton and her family snuck up on her and held her tight around the heart (the most pain she’d ever experienced on this planet). Talk about whether Kal even made it here or where he might be (happy, she hoped, unencumbered with the memories that plagued her). Talk about what her place was, here, the last of her kind. But not today. If she opened her mouth today, it’d come out as a long uncontrollable, unintelligible shout full of frustration, rage, and grief.

“Kara.”

“I will be, I swear.” The _after tonight_ left unsaid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love comments, if you felt like sharing.


End file.
